In the machine tool industry, and particularly in automated systems, it is necessary to use a variety of machine tools to perform specific machining operations on a single work piece. Repeated changing of work tools results in a considerable amount of downtime in the operation of the machine and consequently a loss of production time.
The replacement of a tool holder in a tool clamp block or spindle is ordinarily a manual operation, time consuming, laborious, and somewhat imprecise thereby requiring certain adjustments after replacement. If the replacement operation is automatic or semi-automatic, the mechanical strength requirements of the tool holder mechanism leads to the need for complex and powerful changing mechanisms usually based on hydraulic principles, especially to unclamp the tool holder.
One effort to simplify construction of such clamping devices is disclosed in Walter Kelm et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,878. A cylindrical member is provided with an eccentric slot for receiving and securing a tooling adaptor therein. The retention knob at the end of the tooling adaptor is inserted into a loading area and the clamping device is rotated to permit the retention knob to enter a helical engaging area wherein the retention knob is drawn into and secured within the eccentric slot.
The aforementioned clamping device is a significant improvement over more cumbersome, less automated and more expensive devices. However, because it requires rotary motion to engage the tooling adaptor, a motor or similar mechanism must be used to rotate the cylindrical member. It would be beneficial to be able to secure the tooling adaptor within the eccentric slot without having to employ a device for rotating the cylindrical member.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a clamping device which easily loads and secures a tooling adaptor to a tool clamp block.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a clamping device for securing a tooling adaptor to a tool clamp block in which the clamping device is not rotated.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a clamping device in which loading and securing of the tooling adaptor takes place with minimum material resistance.